The Top Research Advancements of 2014: How Fast Can We Go?

As we approach 2015, it’s inspiring to look back on 2014 and recount the numerous advancements we’ve made in developing vision-saving treatments and cures. When I joined the Foundation nearly a decade ago, virtually nothing was in a human study. We were curing lots of blind mice, and clinical trials seemed elusive. But, today, more than a dozen promising therapies are being evaluated in people, and at least a dozen more clinical trials are expected to begin in the next few years.

Is our progress fast enough? No way. Can we do better? Most definitely. Blindness isn’t waiting for us to find the cures. But when you consider that it took 18 years to find the first retinal-disease gene, and another 18 years to launch the first gene-therapy clinical trial, our progress today is remarkable.

Please join me in celebrating another highly productive year in the fight against blindness. And I look forward to the hard work of those who support us in 2015 as we move closer to finishing this tough job as fast as we can.

24 Responses to 'The Top Research Advancements of 2014: How Fast Can We Go?'

Ocata Therapeutics is conducting Phase II clinical trials in the United States and the United Kingdom. An article in the Lancet magazine detailed the results of one trial–9 out of 18 patients improved their sight with retinal pigment epithelium cell transplants. Ocata is the leader in opthalmic science–they are also in trials for Stargardt’s macular degeneration and myopic macular degeneration.They expect to be commercialized by as early as 2018.

My Three granddaughters have RP. They are 14, 16, and 20 yrs old. The 20 yr, old goes to Wake Forest, University. She wants to be a doctor. The 16 yr. old has a heart for missions especially orphanages. The 14 yr. old is very social and is a cheerleader. I would like to be updated on any news on a cure for RP. What can we do to help?

Your granddaughters may also want to try and identify their disease gene as there are currently several gene therapy clinical trials for RP, all of which that require a molecular (genetic) diagnosis to participate. Currently over 50 genes have been shown to be involved in RP. For information on genetic testing, please see the following web link to download a PDF document:http://www.blindness.org/sites/default/files/genetic_testing_booklet_201311rev.pdf

Your granddaughters should also consider participating in FFB’s “My Retina Tracker”, a free registry that can help them find out about clinical trials that are recruiting for your specific disease. For more information on “My Retina Tracker” please see the following web link:https://www.myretinatracker.org/

Thank you for your willingness to help. There are a number of ways that you can help including getting involved with one of our local chapters and also Vision Walk. For more information on chapters, see the following link: http://www.blindness.org/local-chapters

To participate in any gene therapy trial, you must first positively identify the gene mutation. For more information on genetic testing, please see the following link:http://www.blindness.org/sites/default/files/pages/pdfs/Genetic-Testing-Booklet-V5.2-20151023.pdf
You should also consider participating in FFB’s “My Retina Tracker”, a free registry that can help you find out about clinical trials that are recruiting for your specific disease. For more information on “My Retina Tracker” please see the following web link: https://www.myretinatracker.org/
Unfortunately, most clinical trials that are being conducted in the U.S. do not pay for travel.

Hello, I was recently diagnosed with RP. I am currently seeking any information on clinical trials and treatment for RP. I am willing to participate in research trials to help in finding treatment and a cure. Please keep me updated on any new information as it relates to RP.

I lost my driving license back in 2000 and was devastated but have been lucky enough to continue working – albeit with some frustration at the difficulties that come with RP. For those just diagnosed, its not the end of the world, you can almost live a normal life if you learn your limitations and adapt to them. I remain grateful to all the researchers and clinicians who unrelentingly pursue treatment or a cure of this disease. God bless you. But in the meantime, if you’re a fellow sufferer, don’t let your diagnosis overwhelm you. Do what you can to counter your disadvantage and explore ways to get around your loss of vision. My career continues to develop and most people don’t even know I have a problem because I try to work around visual impairment rather than let it constrain me. I will always remember how I felt when I had to put my car and motorcycle license into an envelope and post them back to the DVLA!

My mom had temporal arteritis, and the doctor’s did not catch it in time, and now she is blind or have primitive vision. Are there any advancements in curing or having her get her eyesight back? Great if there are trial clinic’s, anything that can help ?

You or your mom may want to check the website: http://WWW.CLINICALTRIALS.GOV which is maintained by the National Institutes of Health and contains a searchable list of clinical trials for most known diseases. Each clinical trial listing will provide you with information on what the study is about, the requirements for participating and contact information.

My friend is Legally Blind due to optic nerve damage and is in bad shape because his son left him to raise his grand children by himself and the state is threatening to take them away because he is blind and went blind 3 years ago. Any suggestions can help on trying to get him help on regaining his eyesight. Please & Thanks

Good afternoon. My daughter had a corneal transplant at age 5, and she is now 21. Her vision is extremely bad in the one eye that had the surgery many years ago due to the fact she had a rare eye disease called peter’s anomoly. Can a stem cell injection gain her better eyesight? I was under the impression that once the nerve system of the eye was developed at a certain age, that getting better eyesight when your older would be impossible.

I’m blind in one eye due to glaucoma in my mid twenties they decided to take my eye because it was painful I wish I would have not done that because of all the technology they have now ,anyway I’ve always felt like an outsider and freak because of my eyesight therefore I’ve always tried to be the hardest worker at my job to compensate for feeling inferior to everyone else who has two eyes and can see . I hate feeling that way but I do .i pray someday that someone could help me see better and maybe out of both eyes .i pray for that:) thanks kim

Dear Kim, You will be happy to know that Second Sight, the company that has the only FDA-approved visual prosthetic, has just implanted a new visual prosthetic, called the Orion 1 in a blind patient. What is really nice about the Orion 1 device is that it bypasses the eye altogether and is implanted in the visual cortex. To read more about it, please see the following link:

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